The football monopoly in Los Angeles is not officially over, though UCLA has hotels on Park Place and Baltic, having passed go and collected $200 while Lane Kiffin and Trojans wait for their get-out-jail card from the NCAA. Last season saw the Bruins flip the script on USC, the program's longtime nemesis, and in doing so reverse a decade-long trend – USC up, UCLA down.

Staying on top will be another matter. At least the Bruins are off to a good start: UCLA beat the Trojans 38-28 in November, for one, but also reeled in a consensus top-10 recruiting class in February. What the Trojans had in quality the Bruins topped in simple quantity; UCLA had more four-star recruits, 17, than USC had total recruits, 12. Winning leads into recruiting which leads back into winning, with this path one the Bruins must follow during the course of the next two or three seasons.

First USC, then the Pac-12. This fall hands UCLA the chance at playing Oregon and Stanford three times – each team during the regular season, both times on the road, and then the winner of the Pac-12 North Division in the conference championship game. To reach that point, however, the Bruins will need to survive their intercity rivalry with the Trojans – and this time, at the Coliseum.

What is there to like about this team? The wonderful staff Mora hired, for one. The youthful potential of the defensive line and linebacker corps. The fact that several true and redshirt freshmen are going to serve in key roles, gaining experience in advance of 2013 and beyond. Again, the Bruins are talented enough to taste some success in Mora's first season. For now, seven wins, a one-win improvement over last season, should be viewed as a successful debut for Mora and his staff.

2012 RECAP

— In a nutshell: I'm somewhat embarrassed to remind you that I had my early doubts about UCLA's decision to hire Jim Mora; the move smacked of poor research, at the time, since Mora was three decades removed from his last college job and extremely unfamiliar with the changing tides in the Pac-12 – to me, it seemed as if UCLA opted for a name over a proven college coach. I was terribly wrong, by the way, and very happy to admit this fact. What Mora did from the start was hire a sublime group of assistants, which helped him survive his own learning curve while giving UCLA the sort of scheme advantages sorely lacking with the previous staff. The biggest leap was made on offense, where coordinator Noel Mazzone's up-tempo system – UCLA finished second nationally in total plays – fit wonderfully with the Bruins' returning personnel. At the same time, Mora made some very impressive changes on defense, especially when it came to getting stops on third down. There's still work to be done on the defensive side of the ball.

— High point: The 38-28 win against USC. The Bruins also notched a big non-conference win against Nebraska, topping Cornhuskers 36-30 in Pasadena to head into Pac-12 play with tremendous confidence.

— Low point: Losses to Stanford (twice) were painful but unavoidable, not to mention par for the course for a program still developing the sort of consistency needed to win the Pac-12. The bowl loss to Baylor was much, much worse; a 43-17 loss at woeful California was the worst of all.

— Tidbit: Mora is the second first-year UCLA coach to win nine games, joining Terry Donahue, who went 9-2 in 1976. In winning nine games, Mora nearly matched the first-season output of his two predecessors, Rick Neuheisel (4-8 in 2008) and Karl Dorrell (6-7 in 2003). While UCLA played 14 games in 2012, consider: Mora was 9-3 during the regular season before losing to Stanford on Nov. 30 and Baylor in postseason play.

— Tidbit (scoring edition): UCLA set a new school single-season record last fall with 482 points, as noted. The per-game average (34.43 points per game) comes in seventh in program history, behind 1973 (42.73), 1954 (40.78), 1997 (39.75), 1998 (39.67), 2005 (39.08) and 1987 (35.50).

— Jim Mora (Washington '84), 9-5 after his first season. Mora led the Bruins to the Pac-12 South Division title, upending USC in the progress, marking his debut campaign a nearly unqualified success. More success has come off the field: Mora hired a crackerjack staff, one loaded with elite coaches, developers and talent identifiers, and the entire staff has proved to be a dragon on the recruiting trail. More and more talent is on the way; before long, UCLA will have the depth to challenge for consistent Pac-12 championships.

This wasn't merely Mora's first college top job but also his first taste of college football since 1984, when he spent one season as a graduate assistant under Don James at his alma mater, Washington. Mora was a ham-and-egg backup safety at UW from 1980-83; a year later, less than six months out of college, he was leaning the ropes from a staff that includes James, Skip Hall, Gary Pinkel, Jeff Woodruff, Jim Heacock and Chris Tormey. Mora spent only season at Washington before leaving for the NFL, where he spent the next two-plus decades. From 1985-88, Mora was a quality control assistant for the San Diego Chargers. After serving as the Chargers' defensive backs coach from 1989-91, Mora moved into the same position with the New Orleans Saints (1992-96) and the San Francisco 49ers (1997-98), eventually becoming the 49ers' defensive coordinator in 1999.

After five years, Mora was named the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons: he went 26-22 over three seasons, from 2004-6, dropping from 11-5 to 8-8 to 7-9, and was relieved of his duties early in 2007. After two years as an assistant with the Seattle Seahawks, Mora was named as Mike Holmgren's successor in 2009; he lasted one year and five wins with the Seahawks, and was out football, doing broadcast work, when he was tagged by UCLA to resurrect a down-sliding program. Four things that Mora brought to the table from day one: a terrific staff, hard-charging recruiting, optimism and accountability. You could say – though it might be a bit of a stretch – that UCLA had each of the first three under Rick Neuheisel, Mora's direct predecessor; the Bruins never had the last, however, and it's been a sight for sore eyes.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

— Offense: Before touching on the numbers, one crucial fact: Brett Hundley is a sophomore. Having said that, his 2012 season – as a redshirt freshman – was among the most statistically impressive in Pac-12 history: Hundley set new UCLA records for total offense (4,095 yards), passing yards (3,740) and completions (318), and tossed 29 touchdowns, the second-most in school history. The program of Aikman, McNown, Beban, Kilmer, Cook and others has found another sterling quarterback – and it won't be long before Hundley obliterates the school's record book. What we saw a year ago was a quarterback well-suited for this particular system, a hustling, up-tempo attack predicated on quick decision-making, swift reads, rapid adjustments and dual-threat tendencies, areas where Hundley has already flashed an ability to excel. The best is yet to come: Hundley is not a Heisman contender today, in my opinion, but his talent, potential, surrounding cast and offensive system make him a player to watch nationally during the next two or three seasons. Depth might be an issue – there's no proven experience in reserve – but a healthy Hundley makes this offense once of the electric in college football.

He'll need to find a few new security blankets in the passing game. UCLA does return its leading receiver, senior Shaquelle Evans (60 receptions for 877 yards), as well as senior Darius Bell, but must replace three very valuable targets in Joseph Fauria, Jerry Johnson and running back Johnathan Franklin. Watch out for the sophomores: Devin Fuller (20 for 145) looks like a star, in my opinion, and fellow second-year players like Devin Lucien, Jordan Payton and Kenneth Palmer will provide production and depth. Behind this top group stand another pair of sophomores, Logan Sweet and Tyler Scott; four freshmen coming off redshirt seasons; and three incoming freshmen, two of the four-star variety. My concern is that UCLA needs to find a red-zone threat to replace Fauria, who was dynamite inside the 20. Overall, however, the Bruins have a very deep and potential-laden receiver corps.

It's one thing to recruit elite talent, which UCLA line coach Adrian Klemm has done at nearly every FBS stop during his coaching career, but quite another to properly develop talent reeled on the recruiting trail – and, to be honest, I had some doubts about whether Klemm's coaching could ever match his recruiting acumen. He's off to a very nice start: UCLA had some issues last fall, probably committing a few too many penalties and remaining too hit-or-miss (often miss) in pass protection, but the future up front is obviously bright. Four starters return from last season, led by an all-conference pick in junior Xavier Su'a-Filo. Where he plays dictates the rest of the line: Su'a-Filo could move from left guard outside to left tackle, putting UCLA's best lineman in that key position; a wiser decision might to retain the status quo, which has Su'a-Filo at guard and sophomore Torian White on the blind side. There's so much potential here: Su'a-Filo is just hitting his stride, while White, center Jake Brendel, right guard Ben Wysocki and right tackle Simon Goines are only sophomores. Add in another deep crop of linemen from February's class and you have the foundation for one of the nation's best offensive fronts – not today, in my mind, but at a point in the not-so-distant future. I know there's been talk of a true freshman or two starting early, but I don't see it: UCLA should stick with experience and be patient with the youngsters.

— Defense: It depends on who's talking, but here's my educated take on how Anthony Barr went from underused offensive skill player to one of the best defenders in college football: Barr called Mora, though Mora had planned on calling Barr, and asked for a meeting; Mora was happy to oblige, since, as noted, he had planned on touching base with Barr at the time of the phone call. Barr came to Mora and suggested he be moved to defense, and to linebacker in particular; Mora paused, smiled and replied in the positive, since he had the some thought, paving the way for one of the great one-year success stories in recent Pac-12 history. Barr, once an unknown, unused and unmentionable backup on offense, is now one of the premier players in college football.

He's the key to the entire deal for UCLA. Before moving to Barr, however, take note of the issue up front – UCLA is short on bodies along the defensive line and will likely be very reliant on untested holdovers and rookies, so Barr needs to continue his torrid pace to help the Bruins survive a projected decline in production from the front three. Well, it's not all bad: UCLA still brings back senior end Cassius Marsh (50 tackles, 8.0 sacks), and I'll continue to beat the drum until Marsh lands more national recognition for his solid work in this system. But with a major player – Datone Jones – gone to graduation and a would-be starter and key reserve – end Owa Odighizuwa and nose tackle Brandon Tuliaupupu – lost to injury, there are some major holes to fill. For now, it's obvious that the Bruins will need immediate-impact play from freshman Eddie Vanderdoes, Kylie Fitts and Kenneth Clark to have an adequate degree of depth; beyond that, it's pretty likely that Vanderdoes starts at some point as a rookie. Inside, UCLA will use senior Seali'i Epenesa, Clark and a few underclassmen, like Ellis McCarthy and Eli Ankou. I really admire Marsh's effort, consistency and production; at the same time, I see some warning signs with this entire group.

But then there's Barr, and if Barr's there, things are looking up. Instead of listing his bona fides, let's just say this: Barr's an NFL player lining up in the Pac-12. That's it, right? He's just one of those next-level athletes masquerading as a collegian before he gets the call for the league, which will come in less than 12 months – in the first round, and early at that. Barr is a special, special player with the great fortune of playing under Mora, who – and not to get on a tangent – has done a really nice job removing his NFL mindset and opening his mind to position changes, with Barr the most noteworthy move. His decision to return for his senior season obviously bolsters this entire linebacker corps. The one loss is at the other outside spot, though UCLA seems to really like sophomore Aaron Wallace, the likely replacement for Damien Holmes. No changes inside: Eric Kendricks (149 tackles) and Jordan Zumwalt (71 tackles, 8.0 for loss) have taken very well to the new system. There's also four or five high-profile recruits set to join the mix during fall camp. Any group headlined by Barr will be tremendous.

The second level is in steady hands. The line, as noted, has some issues. The secondary will be brand new, which may or may not be a good thing – since experience is good, but last year's secondary, as experienced as it was, played far below expectations. There's still no sugarcoating this fact: UCLA returns only one defensive back with any degree of proven experience. That would be sophomore Randall Goforth, the projected starter at free safety. The Bruins had planned on using junior Dietrich Riley at strong safety, but injuries woes have ended his college career – back to the drawing board. To be honest, I'm really concerned by the lack of game-tested production almost across the board, with Goforth perhaps the lone exception. Basically, here's where we stand: UCLA needs redshirt freshman Ishmael Adams and Anthony Jefferson to get it done at cornerback, especially if freshman Priest Willis doesn't grasp the system, and will call on another true freshman, Tahaan Goodman, to start in Riley's stead at strong safety. I have an amazing degree of respect for Mora, coordinator Lou Spanos and secondary coach Demetrice Martin; I'm still a little worried about the secondary's wherewithal heading into 2013.

— Special teams: This group turned a corner after a sluggish start, which bodes well for 2013. One nice development: Mora clearly has faith in sophomore kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn, who really struggled early before hitting his stride in October. That's one piece of good news. Another? The Bruins should be very intrigued by senior Shaquelle Evans' move to full-time punt returner; he did well in this task a year ago, for one, and should give UCLA more consistency – read: fewer muffs – than his predecessor, Manfro. Now, the bad news: UCLA will really miss punter Jeff Locke, one of the nation's best as a senior, and will very likely hand the job to true freshman Sean Covington. He could also handle kickoffs, another area where Locke excelled at an All-American level in 2012.

POSITION(S) TO WATCH

— Running back: Johnathan Franklin's production won't be replaced by any one returning back – nor will his toughness, leadership skills and fourth-quarter excellence be replaced by five backs, though UCLA will try. Franklin quickly bought into what Mora and Mazzone were preaching, on the field, within this offense, and also in the locker room; his teammates followed their leader, leading to last season's success, making Franklin one of the more important figures in recent UCLA history. Is that a stretch? In terms of replicating what Franklin brought to this offense, the Bruins' goal should be to utilize three, four or five backs to lead the running game. Now, that doesn't mean one back couldn't grab the reins early: Damien Thigpen (262 yards) has the experience to take charge, if he's fully recovered from last season's knee injury. The Bruins' options include Thigpen, junior Jordon James (193 yards), senior Malcolm Jones, sophomore Steven Manfro and redshirt freshman Paul Perkins. I have little doubt that this entire quintet is very much in the mix for touches as the Bruins move through fall camp. Is there a Franklin in this group? Of course not. But here's the plan: UCLA shouldn't focus on the one back but rather at the big picture, attempting to use as many rushers as possible to improve upon last season's team-wide production – 2,671 yards and 29 touchdowns. Even nearing those totals will mean this offense is in great shape, given Hundley's continued improvement in the passing game. The biggest loss isn't in production, but in leadership, dedication and the ability to gain tough yards in the fourth quarter.

GAME(S) TO WATCH

— USC: One of these two teams will win the South, with all due respect to Arizona State. This year's date is at USC, where the Bruins have lost seven games in a row – including a 50-0 whitewashing to end the 2011 regular season. UCLA likely has the toughest road slate of any team in college football: USC, Oregon, Stanford and Nebraska, along with Arizona and Utah. Oh, and about the Ducks and Cardinal? The Bruins get this pair – two of the top five teams in the country, according to everyone – during back-to-back weeks to end October. How fun.

SEASON BREAKDOWN & PREDICTION

— In a nutshell: I'm a little worried about this defense, even if I run out of superlatives for Barr, Marsh and this staff. The first concern is the front three, which has suffered some losses to injury and seems very reliant on newcomers along the two-deep – and in starting roles, I would think. The second issue, one that dwarfs the front three, is the nature of the raw, unproven, untested and unknown secondary. When push does come to shove, UCLA will need its secondary to run with Nebraska's receiver corps, Oregon's multifaceted passing game, Stanford's physical tight ends and USC's all-everything lead target – if he's healthy, of course. Two things: one, the group will get better, befitting its current lack of experience but overall talent, and two, this group really gives me pause. Any group with Barr has the potential to be special, but I'm a little worried.

But the reason why I have UCLA at No. 30, down about 10 spots from its end-of-year ranking in 2012, is due to this schedule. I simply can't see the Bruins avoiding four losses during the regular season – not when Nebraska, Oregon, Stanford and USC come on the road. In my opinion, UCLA goes no better than 1-3 in this stretch, possibly going 0-4, and drops a winnable game against the remaining eight opponents on the schedule. An eight-win regular season seems very much in the cards.

So the Bruins will be one of those rare breeds, an FBS power program that improves in many areas – and seems like a better team overall, albeit one with some issues – but takes a drop in the win column. That's fine, in my mind. Although a repeat of a South Division title obviously would be preferable, the majority of UCLA's contributors still need some time to develop under the new staff. It might take one step back before the Bruins take that one enormous leap forward, in other words. Would the bloom be off the rose if UCLA goes 8-4 before the postseason? Nope. This is doubly true if the young core develops as expected. The Bruins have the pieces to win big in the future.

— Dream season: UCLA goes 11-1 in the regular season, splitting dates with Oregon and Stanford but knocking off Nebraska and USC – the latter to take the South Division.

— Nightmare season: The Bruins slip to 6-6, 4-5 in the Pac-12.

— All-name team nominee: S Librado Barocio.

UP NEXT

— Who is No. 29? This program rushed for at least 200 yards in a game seven or more times in each season from 2008-11 but did so only three times in 2012.

125: Georgia State - Georgia State joins the Sun Belt Conference as the newest member of the Football Bowl Subdivision. The team is led by former Indiana State coach Trent Miles, who knows a thing or two about massive rebuilding projects, but the Panthers are several years away from competing for bowl eligibility. (Photo: Jim Avelis, AP)

124: Massachusetts - After going 1-11 in 2012, its first season in the Football Bowl Subdivision, UMass enters year two under Charley Molnar with little hope of any major improvement against another difficult schedule. The Minutemen are just a hair behind Akron for last place in the Mid-American Conference East Division. (Photo: Mark L. Baer, USA TODAY Sports)

123: Idaho - After being part of the since-disintegrated Western Athletic Conference, the Vandals will spend one season as a Football Bowl Subdivision independent before joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014. It won’t be pretty: Idaho will play Northern Illinois, Fresno State, Mississippi and Florida State, among others. (Photo: Kyle Mills, AP)

122: South Alabama - The Jaguars went 2-11 as first-year members of the Sun Belt Conference in 2012, and that record won’t improve dramatically unless the offense fixes the missteps that defined last season. While coach Joey Jones has assembled some talent, South Alabama is still too inexperienced to be a real threat for more than three or four wins. (Photo: Mark Dolejs, USA TODAY Sports)

121: New Mexico State. Previous coach DeWayne Walker left on his own accord after compiling a 10-40 record from 2009-2012, taking an assistant position with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 24, less than two weeks before national signing day. Walker's replacement, Doug Martin, has two things Walker did not when he took over late in 2008: FBS coaching experience (seven seasons at Kent State) and experience in Las Cruces (2011 as the Aggies' offensive coordinator). (Photo: Jim Avelis, AP)

120: Akron - The Zips proved they could move the football last season, the program’s first under former Auburn coach Terry Bowden, but having a stronger offense didn’t prevent Akron from going 0-11 against Football Bowl Subdivision opposition. A year later, Akron remains far too undermanned to make any waves in the Mid-American Conference. (Photo: Robert Mayer, USA TODAY Sports)

119: Texas at San Antonio - The youngest program in college football, UTSA quickly moved from the Sun Belt Conference to Conference USA. The issue with such rapid growth is that it will force the Roadrunners to play beyond their years, and this team seems too inexperienced to handle the increased level of competition found in Conference USA. (Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press)

118: Florida International - After spending several years building to the point where it could reach back-to-back bowl games, as Florida International did from 2010-11, FIU is back to square one under new coach Ron Turner. The Golden Panthers are entering the first stage of what should be a long and painful rebuilding project. (Photo: Robert Mayer, USA TODAY Sports)

117: Eastern Michigan - Eastern Michigan is again out to prove its 6-6 finish in 2011 – the program’s lone six-win season since 1995 – was not a fluke. That seemed to be the case last fall, when the Eagles stumbled back to 2-10, the program’s third 10-loss season in four tries under coach Ron English. Confidence is not high in Ypsilanti. (Photo: Rob Christy, USA TODAY Sports)

116: Memphis - The Tigers made some strides last season, winning four games under coach Justin Fuente, but will be tested by the tougher level of competition in the American Athletic Conference. While the program has clearly improved, 2013 should again find Memphis at the bottom of the conference standings. (Photo: Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY Sports)

115: Colorado - It can only get better than it was a year ago, if only because things couldn’t possibly get worse. Colorado begins a new era under former San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre with full knowledge of the difficult road that lies ahead. At the very least, CU knows it is now pointed in the right direction. (Photo: David Zalubowski, AP)

114: UNLV. It's been 13 years since UNLV posted a winning season. The program is mired in a stretch of five seasons of 10 or more losses in the past seven years, with the last three coming under coach Bobby Hauck. (Photo: Bradley Leeb, USA TODAY Sports)

113: North Texas leaves the Sun Belt Conference to join Conference USA in 2013. Will a change in scenery lead to a change in the standings? The Mean Green have been better under coach Dan McCarney, winning nine games over the last two seasons, but this team won’t go anywhere unless it can find some much-needed explosiveness on offense. (Photo: Scott Sewell, USA TODAY Sports)

112: After nine seasons under Mike Price, UTEP welcomes back former assistant Sean Kugler as its new coach in 2013. Kugler has some weapons to work with, including a high-profile addition in Texas A,M transfer Jameill Showers at quarterback, but it will take time for him to reverse UTEP’s losing ways. (Photo: Rudy Gutierrez, AP)

111: Florida Atlantic -- The team's quest to bolster its fundraising coffers by offering up the naming rights to its new stadium hit a snag after the university student body and surrounding community quickly soured on a deal with GEO Group, a for-profit prison operator with a history of fines, investigations and violations. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Florida Atlantic University)

110: Illinois -- Bruised and battered Illinois lacks confidence, as one might expect after the Illini won only a single game against Football Bowl Subdivision opposition during the program's first season under former Toledo coach Tim Beckman. Illinois also lacks an offense, a defense and an identity. (Photo: Rudy Gutierrez, AP)

108: New Mexico -- Four wins is cause for celebration at New Mexico, which went 3-33 from 2009-11 but finished 4-9 in 2012, its first season under former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie. The Lobos may be stuck in neutral while Davie and his staff add talent and depth to a depleted roster, likely leading to another season with four or fewer wins, but the program has found a run-first formula to hang with stronger opponents during Mountain West Conference play. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

107: Colorado State -- This team enters year two of its rebuilding process under coach Jim McElwain, who learned a thing or two about building a winner as the former offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama. The Rams’ issues in 2013 circle around an offense that remains in flux while it acclimates itself into McElwain’s pro-style scheme. A tough schedule will send CSU to another losing season. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

106: Army. Army exceeded expectations once, in 2010, creating both a remarkably pleasing individual season while increasing the belief that the Cadets and coach Rich Ellerson could do so again. Unfortunately, Army has since slid back to successive losing seasons, with last year ending in a nightmare: Trailing by four points with little more than a minute left, the Cadets fumbled the ball away deep inside Navy territory to again lose to their academy rival. (Photo: Jim Avelis, AP)

105: Hawaii -- Former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow has painfully reworked Hawaii’s offense away from a pass-happy system into his pro-style scheme. Results thus far have been decidedly mixed. For now, the Rainbow Warriors will continue to lean on a defense with some speed and talent on the edge while the offense finds its form with a new starting quarterback, junior Taylor Graham. Hawaii is at least one full season away from competing for a bowl bid. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

104: Texas State -- The Bobcats won four games last fall, the program’s first as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision. This season finds Texas State in the Sun Belt Conference, an offensively prolific league that will test one of the nation’s worst defenses. But the Bobcats are very hopeful that FBS transfers like D.J. Yendrey and Mike Orakpo can give this defense some much-needed experience, production and aggressiveness. (Photo: L. Scott Mann AP)

103: Miami (Ohio) -- Miami has lost at least eight games in four of the last seasons and has been outscored in each of the last seven seasons, two facts that illustrate the RedHawks’ current rut. Will things change in 2013? Third-year coach Don Treadwell’s group faces holes at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, so the defense will need to carry the load against a fairly easy schedule should Miami look to reach the postseason. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

102: Central Michigan -- The Chippewas reached a bowl game last season by beating the bad teams on the schedule. Despite winning seven games, the gap between Central Michigan and MAC frontrunners like Northern Illinois, Toledo and Ball State remained immense. In terms of personnel, CMU needs to replace a multiple-year starter at quarterback and left tackle Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

101: Kentucky -- Welcome to the new era of Kentucky football, revel in this new-car smell, because things have changed: Mark Stoops, the former defensive coordinator at Florida State, has altered the very way Kentucky views itself in the SEC pecking order. Not to mention Kentucky's own pecking order: The basketball team struggled this year, so there might be a power void at the top. Kentucky drew 50,831 fans to its spring game, or more than the Wildcats drew for any two home games from October on, judging by the pictures. Kentucky has reeled in more four-star recruits since December than at any point over the previous decade – combined, or just about. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

100: Boston College -- The Eagles have sat and watched as their consistency, a hallmark of the program for the first decade of the new millennium, has crumbled to become nonexistent. New Boston College coach Steve Addazio's first task will be remaking the Eagles' broken sense of self-worth. If not the easiest first step, at least Addazio can tackle the task without worrying about teams like USC, Florida State and Clemson, three of Boston College's opponents over the first half of 2013. Wins and losses matter less than player development. (Photo: Jim Cowser, USA TODAY Sports)

99: SMU -- Last year's team was better than its 7-6 record might indicate, particularly in terms of personnel. The Mustangs had a five-star transfer from Texas at quarterback, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher in the backfield, a 1,000-yard receiver, a strong defensive line, an outstanding linebacker corps and a ball-hawking secondary. Yet the Mustangs still failed to beat any opponent of consequence outside of Tulsa, going 1-5 during the regular season against eventual bowl teams. (Photo: Jim Cowser, USA TODAY Sports)

98: Western Michigan -- To properly understand where P.J. Fleck is coming from you need to sit down and watch him explain his new team's Nekton Mentality, Prefontaine Pace and Farmers' Alliance. These are things, real things, and to Fleck, they are what will separate Western Michigan from the rest of the MAC – actually, according to Fleck, they will ultimately separate the Broncos from the rest of college football. (Photo: Marilyn Indahl, USA TODAY Sports)

97: Troy -- Once a Sun Belt Conference power, Troy has ceded the top spot to conference rivals like Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Lafayette over the last two seasons. Getting back to the postseason might be difficult: Troy returns only seven starters, the second-fewest of any team in the country, and lacks depth on each side of the ball. (Photo: Jim Brown, US Presswire)

96: Kansas -- The opening season in the Charlie Weis era at Kansas went poorly, with a 1-11 mark and a last-place finish in the Big 12. The five-year plan enters year two now: will it be baby steps, befitting Kansas' recent run as the nation's worst automatic-qualifying program, or will the Jayhawks break through the ceiling and challenge for a bowl berth in the brutal Big 12? (Photo: Mike DiNovo, US Presswire)

95: California -- Jeff Tedford, who coached California for the previous 11 seasons, is gone. In his place, former Louisiana coach Sonny Dykes is the latest offensive innovator to take the reins of a Pac-12 program since 2009. What does this say about California, Dykes and the North? It says that offense is in vogue throughout the division, helping present the Pac-12 as the flip-side to the SEC's defense-first mentality. (Photo: Kelley L Cox, USA TODAY Sports)

94: Rice -- Rice rode an explosive offense to a bowl game in 2012, defeating the Air Force Falcons in the Armed Forces Bowl. Can that explosive attack continue to help cover up a woeful defense (Rice has now allowed at least 48 points in a game 35 times since the start of the 2000 season) not only for this campaign, but beyond? (Photo: Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)

No. 93: Washington State -- In their second year under coach Mike Leach, can the Cougars reverse their string of losing at least eight games in the last five seasons? Only one other Pac-12 school has suffered as many eight-loss seasons in a row: Oregon State lost eight or more games in each season from 1979-87. (Photo: Allen Henry, USA TODAY Sports)

No. 92: Connecticut -- As always, the Huskies are strong on defense but weak on offense. In the past six seasons, UConn quarterbacks have combined to throw 69 touchdowns against 72 interceptions while averaging 185.67 yards per game. Over the same span, the Huskies' defense has allowed 91 passing touchdowns against 97 interceptions while holding opposing quarterbacks to an average of 218.39 yards per game. (Photo: David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports)

No. 91: UAB -- The Blazers and second year head coach Garrick McGee are trending up, with young talent on both sides of the ball. However, despite their relatively weak conference, UAB looks to still be a year away from reaching a bowl game. (Photo: Marvin Gentry, US Presswire)

90: Wyoming -- The Cowboys have won 15 games in the past three years, with most coming in an eight-win finish in 2011. Three have come against Football Championship Subdivision competition. Three have come against Colorado State – a combined 10-26 since 2010. Of Wyoming's 15 wins since 2010, only three have come against winning teams: Toledo in 2010 and San Diego State and Air Force in 2011. Every other defeated opponent ended the season with seven or more losses. So what is Wyoming going to do when there are no more easy wins – when its MWC schedule is loaded with teams with realistic bowl hopes? (Photo: Brendan Maloney, US PRESSWIRE)

89: Purdue -- The Boilermakers have a new coach in Darrell Hazell, who won 11 games at Kent State last season with a unique system of steps that he is proud to call his own. In specific, Hazell's blueprint worked for Kent State. But his plan is universal: It'll work everywhere, whether we're talking Kent State, Purdue or Ohio State, should Hazell slide into the Buckeyes' plans at some point in the future. The Boilermakers will win with what they've got and feel good doing so. Just not from the start, perhaps. (Photo: Byron Hetzler, USA TODAY Sports)

88: Temple -- Temple went back into its past to nab a replacement for Boston College-bound Steve Addazio. It shied away from the years prior to 2006, when Al Golden stepped in and reversed the program's fate, and opted for one of Golden's chief lieutenants in ex-offensive coordinator Matt Rhule. Rhule's return spells a move back to Temple's recent glory days, when the offense was pro-style, the defense aggressive and the team worked as one cohesive unit. Those were good times. Rhule will bring 'em back. (Photo: Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports)

87: Iowa State -- Never before has Iowa State football had this level of fan support. What's not to like? The fan base admires the work coach Paul Rhoads and his staff have put into creating a consistent Big 12 presence, albeit one that typically sneaks into bowl play with six wins, hovering along the league's bottom third. The typically undermanned Cyclones are overachievers, basically. But here's a question: Once you overachieve once, twice, three times, aren't you simply achieving? (Photo: Peter G. Aiken, USA TODAY Sports)

86: Duke -- Duke is looking to return to bowl play after winning six games in 2012. To do that and reach the postseason, Duke must find consistent play from new quarterback Anthony Boone. Duke will look to a more balanced offense to move the ball against ACC competition. (Photo: Mark Dolejs, USA TODAY Sports)

85: Kent State -- Led by electric running back Dri Archer, Kent State will try to stay at a high level of achievement after an 11-3 season despite losing their coach to Purdue in the offseason. Prior to last season, Kent State was the lone FBS program with roots in the 20th century with a career winning percentage below .400 – it stood at .388, to be precise. Prior to last season, Kent State had not won more than six games since 1987. Prior to last season, Kent State was mired in a run of 32 non-winning seasons in 34 years. Then, last season, The Flashes came within a whisper of the Bowl Championship Series, believe it or not, and would have been the underdog story to end all underdog stories. (Photo: Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports)

84: Pittsburgh --Pitt's defense is good enough to carry this team. But to say that the Panthers can win six or more games without a strong offense would be misleading – and this offense has some major holes to address before getting started against Florida State in early September. (Photo: Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)

83: Arkansas -- After a disastrous 2012 campaign following the summer departure of Bobby Petrino, the once-proud Razorbacks will try to get back in to bowl contention in the stacked Southeastern Conference. Coach Bret Bielema will bring a taste of the Big Ten to the SEC, turning Arkansas' finesse style into a punishing, physical team worthy of rolling in the mud with perennial powers like Alabama, Florida and LSU. (Photo: Jeff Blake, USA TODAY Sports)

82: Southern Mississippi -- After an 0-12 season, the Golden Eagles had no choice but to dismiss their coach and hire former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken to replace him. Like Larry Fedora before him, brings sterling offensive credentials to Hattiesburg. But unlike Johnson, who took over a 12-win team, Monken inherits a winless group struggling to relocate its confidence. USM can take some solace in the fact it can't get any worse. (Photo: Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)

81: Syracuse - New coach Scott Shafer still has his hands full tutoring a fairly inexperienced team – the Orange return only 11 starters – in a new league, a more competitive ACC. (Photo: Rich Barnes, USA TODAY Sports)

80: South Florida -- Coming off a 3-9 season, USF hired Willie Taggart as head coach. South Florida is one of five American Athletic Conference holdovers from the old Big East, not counting Temple, which joined the Big East as the league entered its death throes in 2012. Of the five, USF joins Rutgers as the lone programs to have not reached the Bowl Championship Series. (Photo: Daniel Wallace, AP)

79: Middle Tennessee State --What team shows up in 2013? Perhaps the eight-win squad of 2012, or the 10-win team of 2009, or the bowl team of 2010. Or will it be the 10-loss team of 2011, as disappointing a non-automatically qualifying group in the country? (Photo: Kevin Liles, USA TODAY Sports)

78: Virginia --UVa has plus-talent at quarterback, running back, receiver and all throughout the defense, with the only issue for 2013 being that nearly every meaningful contributor stands a season away from a breakthrough. (Photo: Kevin Liles, USA TODAY Sports)

77: Minnesota --Think about this: Every year, Minnesota's quest for bowl eligibility goes through the Wolverines, Cornhuskers, Spartans, Wildcats and Hawkeyes – and sometimes, that quintet will be joined by Leaders Division teams like Wisconsin and Penn State. That'll happen sometimes. Like in 2013, for example. (Photo: Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports)

75: Western Kentucky --There's a blindingly bright future at WKU, even if it's hard to predict just how long Petrino remains with the program before a win-hungry power comes calling. To get to the next level, however, Petrino needs to develop personnel on offense to fit his foolproof system. (Photo: Nathan Morgan/Daily News, AP)

74: Buffalo -- Coach Jeff Quinn has done a great job developing talent, as Buffalo won three of its last four games. The arrow is pointing up for this squad, which could reach a bowl game this year. The running game will continue to go through Branden Oliver (pictured), one of the MAC's best backs. (Photo: Nathan Morgan/Daily News, AP)

73. Indiana - The Hoosiers enter this season a confident group, having won four games under Kevin Wilson last fall. He has developed the team's offense into one of the most potent in the Big Ten. To take the next step, Indiana will need to build more depth on the defensive side. (Photo: Nathan Morgan/Daily News, AP)

72. Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons are loaded with seniors and several underclassmen set for larger roles. They should challenge for six wins with coach Jim Grobe thanks to a strong offense, which will be more run-based, and increased depth. (Photo: Chuck Burton, AP)

71. Houston: After 17 seasons with Conference USA, Houston joins the American. It hopes to rejoin the postseason after going 5-7 last season. Dave Piland must step up at quarterback and the defensive-line interior needs to be rebuilt. (Photo: Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports)

70. San Jose State: The Spartans won the Military Bowl last season, finishing an impressive campaign in which they went 11-2 and earned a national ranking in both polls. Even with one of the nation's best quarterbacks in David Fales (No.1), new coach Ron Caragher and his staff has their hands full fixing the defense. (Photo: Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports)

69. Iowa: The Hawkeyes look to rebound after going 4-8 a season ago. Coach Kirk Ferentz will have to find a new quarterback to replace replace James Vandenberg. Their postseason hopes will ride on a strong backfield and and offensive line. (Photo: Charlie Neibergall, AP)

67. Air Force: Are there negative signs? I'd say so. But are they reasons for concern? No, not really. Though Air Force has been trending downward the last two years – 13-13 combined since the start of the 2011 season – the Falcons have, to be fair, lost four games by single digits. It was only two years ago that Air Force scored 454 points, the fourth-highest total in school history – so the offense isn't broken. Likewise, the Falcons' 2011 defense ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in yards allowed per game. So what happened last season? The Falcons struggled. It happens. (Photo: Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)

66. Maryland: The Terps enter Year 3 under Randy Edsall with serious bowl expectations. Maryland will have increased depth and will land markedly improved production at quarterback, with C.J. Brown (pictured) healthy. To ensure six wins, Maryland must address some personnel issues on the defensive side of the ball (Photo: Patrick Semansky, AP)

65. Louisiana-Monroe: ULM had its first breakthrough as a member of the FBS last season, winning eight games. The Warhawks return 17 starters altogether, with eight on offense (including dual-threat QB Kolton Browning) and nine on defense. ULM is easily one of the top three teams in the Sun Belt Conference and a bowl favorite. (Photo: Patrick Semansky, AP)

64. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have reached three bowl games in a row under coach Dan Mullen. Last season ended poorly for the Bulldogs, with four losses in five games after a 7-0 start. To rebound, MSU needs to land more consistent quarterback play and replace two cornerbacks (Photo: Patrick Semansky, AP)

63. Louisiana Tech: After a nine win season that amazingly did not earn them a postseason bid, Louisiana Tech is aiming to keep up their success from last season behind a truly explosive offense. In order to get a BCS bid, which is a possibility if they play their cards right, they must hold serve against weak WAC opponents. (Photo: Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports)

62. Tennessee: Tennessee was a few first downs, a third-down conversion, a fourth-down stop, a two-point conversion and an errant pass away from reaching bowl eligibility last fall, the program's third year under ex-coach Derek Dooley. But now Dooley is gone after he failed to make a Bowl game, and in his stead is hot new coach Butch Jones. (Photo: Randy Sartin, USA TODAY Sports)

61. Utah: Utah didn't bite off more than it could chew in joining the Pac-12, though the record might suggest otherwise: After going 33-6 in its final three years in the Mountain West Conference, Utah has slid to 13-12 in its new league – finishing outside of bowl eligibility last fall, a program-first since the pre-Urban Meyer period. The Utes have moved away from their winning tradition somewhat in recent years, but are looking to get back there on the back of a good offense. (Photo: Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports)

60. Navy: Okay, so the Midshipmen beat Army again last season. There's a word for Navy's run of success in the chase for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy: Domination. The Midshipmen have won eight of the past 10 trophies, losing out to Air Force in 2010 and 2011. Last season's sweep – wins against both Army and Air Force – marked the program's eighth double-dip since 2003. But the gap among the armed forces academies might be closing pretty quickly. Just don't tell these Midshipmen. (Photo: Danny Wild, USA TODAY Sports)

59: Utah State: Utah State came this close to a perfect regular season in 2012, as a missed field goal against BYU sunk their BCS chances. They lost their two games by a combined five points. Then there are the 11 wins, eight coming by 22 or more points. USU was quite easily one of college football's best teams of 2012, one separated from greater glory by only the slimmest of margins. (Photo: Douglas C. Pizac, USA TODAY Sports)

58. Missouri: The Tigers really struggled in their first season in the SEC, not making a bowl game for the first time since 2004. That's to be expected moving in to the most powerful conference in college football if you don't have a Heisman-winning quarterback, so we can cut Mizzou some slack. They will show improvement this season. (Photo: Dak Dillon, USA TODAY Sports)

57. West Virginia: West Virginia looks for a vastly improved defense to team with an offense that should remain among the Big 12's best despite changes at quarterback, wide receiver and offensive guard. The Mountaineers started 5-0 in 2012, rising as high as No. 4 in the polls, before losing six of eight to end the season. (Photo: Rob Christy, USA TODAY Sports)

56. Auburn - After a disastrous 3-9 (0-8 SEC) season, Auburn finally fired Gene Chizik and brought former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn in to head the program. It was an amazing fall for the Tigers, who won a national championship and went undefeated in 2010-11. Now, Auburn must start virtually from scratch, but have brought in some talented recruits that may help ease the transition. (Photo: John Reed, USA TODAY Sports)

55. Arkansas State - The Red Wolves won the GoDaddy.com Bowl last year, but now have their fourth new head coach in the last four seasons. But ASU is at the front of the Sun Belt conference and should continue to make the postseason and win games once they get there. (Photo: Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports)

54. Rutgers: Give Rutgers coach Kyle Flood credit for many things, including his nine-win debut as Greg Schiano's replacement, but let's focus on one achievement in particular: Flood and Rutgers have recruited as well as any team in the Big East – and the American Athletic Conference, now that it's 2013. They're not Louisville in terms of quality, but the Scarlet Knights will almost certainly make a bowl game. (Photo: Douglas Jones, USA TODAY Sports)

53. North Carolina State: After a seven-win season, the Wolfpack has a new coach in former Northern Illinois head man Dave Doeren. After some good results and bad results over the tenure of Tom O'Brien, the pack is ready to move away from average overall results and try and move to the top of the ACC. (Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

52. Bowling Green. Bowling Green: The Falcons’ defense will remain the best in the Mid-American Conference despite losing two all-conference starters. Bowling Green’s biggest concern is quarterback play, where senior Matt Schilz’s disappointing 2012 season has led coach Dave Clawson to create a quarterback competition. If the offense doesn’t improve, Bowling Green could top out at seven wins and a second-place finish in the East Division. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

51. Arizona: After a tremendous debut, coach Rich Rodriguez will need to cobble together an offense without last year’s starting quarterback and top receiver. While the offensive line and running game remain strong, Arizona’s defense is not to the point where it can slow down many opponents during Pac-12 play. The Wildcats will return to the postseason, but the team might struggle in September as it transitions to a new cast on offense. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)